Extension for tripods



Aug, 1?, 1948. J. WIRGIN 2,447,107

EXTENSION FOR TRIPODS Filed Jan. 26, 1945 INVENTOR. JUJLPH W/RG/N lay/W Patented Aug. 17, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EXTENSION FOR TRIPODS Joseph Wirgin, Mount Vernon, N. Y.

Application January 26, 1945, Serial No. 574,678-

3 Claims. 1

This present invention relates to tubular extension standards and more particularly to a means of looking a pair of tubular telescoping members.

In the past there have been a great many attempts to provide an adjustable means for looking tubular telescopin members in a particular position such as on camera tripods or in music stands and various other types of adjustable stands. In most of the former attempts it has been necessary to adjust the telescoping members to a position and then tighten a clamping means. This type of unit is not very satisfactory in use, as the weight on the tripod may force the clamping means to slide or through wear the clamping means become too inefiective.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple, effective, easily constructed member associated with two tubular telescopin members that is effective to lock the two members in relation to each other at any given position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple inexpensive locking means within two tubular members to lock the members with relation to each other in any given position.

A still further object of this invention is to provide two tubular telescoping members that will look when they are in an upright position and will unlock when they are inverted.

Another object and feature of this invention will be found by reference to the accompanying drawing and detailed description in which Fig, 1 i a partial cross-sectional view in elevation of the telescopin members and the locking members, and Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a tripod which may incorporate the details of Fig. 1 in each of the standards.

In one embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1, there are two telescoping tubular members H3 and H. The member H is formed with an enlarged. head member i2 and a cone shaped extension H5. The outer member IE) is formed with a stop shoulder I4 so that the inner radius of the stop shoulder is less than the radius of the head 52, a plurality of balls is having a diameter greater than the distance between the base of cone [3 and the inner wall of member 50 are inserted around the periphery of the cone l3. Referring to Fig. 2, there is provided a tripod 20 having the same tubular standards I!) and II mounted in the same fashion to provide the telescoping of one member within the other and in which a locking means 2| in the form of a spiral spring is mounted around the periphery of the cone E3. The standards ill and II shown in 2 Fig. 2 are formed with the construction illustrated in Fig. 1.

In use, the telescoping members as illustrated in Fig. 1 or in Fig, 2 will lock in an upright position at any point within the outer telescoping member, due to the force of gravity on the balls 15 or the spring 2| as the case may be and to a force exerted by the outer member I!) causing the balls 15 or the spring 2| to be jammed into the smallest area between the cone I3 and the wall of member Ill, thus frictionally gripping both members. The more the force exerted the tighter the locking members will tend to bind. It will be noted that when the standards In and H are inverted and the force exerted by the outer member 10 is released, by a slight pull of inner member II, the force of gravity will release the balls 15 as indicated in Fig. 1 or the helical spring 2| as indicated in Fig. 2.

The foregoing description is not intended to limit the present invention which includes all changes and equivalents comprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a. pair of tubular standards comprised of two tubular members one telescoping within the other, the inner telescoping member formed with a cone shaped head, a plurality of spheres mounted between the cone shaped head of the one tubular member and the inner wall of the other tubular member providing means to lock the one tubular member with relation to the other tubular member in an upright position and to release said plurality of spheres when in an inverted position by further extension of said standards and gravity, thus permitting complete retelescoping'of said tubular standards.

2. The combination of a pair of tubular standards comprised of two tubular members one telescoping within the other, the inner telescoping member formed with a cone shaped head, a helical spring mounted between the cone shaped head of the one member and the inner wall of the other member providing means to lock the one member with relation to the other member in an upright position and to release said helical spring when in an inverted position by further extension of said standards and gravity, thus permitting complete retelescoping of said tubular standards.

3. The combination of a pair of tubular standards comprised of two tubular members one telescoping within the other, the inner telescoping member formed with a cone shaped head, and. a locking member between the cone shaped head of the one member and the inner wall of the other member, providin means to lock the one mem- ITED her with relation to the other member in an UN STATES PATENTS upright position, and to release said locking mem- Number Name Date her when in an inverted position by further ex- 1,620,913 Orwig Mar. 15, 1927 tension of said standards and gravity, thus per- 5 1,769,004 Turse July 1, 1930 mitting complete retelescoping of said tubular FOREIGN PATENTS standards.

JOSEPH WIRGIN Number Country Date 108,311 Great Britain Aug. 31, 1939 REEERENGES CITED; 10 336,210 4 France June 15, 1904 The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

